A dispute is bubbling inside Daytona's chamber

Published: Sunday, February 3, 2013 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, February 3, 2013 at 9:34 p.m.

A troubling behind-the-scenes battle is taking place among the top leadership of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce.

It's the kind of dispute everyone involved may understandably wish was kept from the public's eye. Two major chamber events — the group's annual banquet on Feb. 11 and Bike Week in early March — are just around the corner. The organization would much rather champion those events and the area's “chamber of commerce weather” than an ugly fight.

But the current unpleasantness is a dark cloud that can't be ignored. When significant disagreements erupt between leaders of the largest business organization in the area, well, it needs to be told.

The dust-up pits chamber President Larry McKinney against past board Chairman Tom Leek, current Chairman Suzanne Forbes, and incoming Chairman Phil Maroney. McKinney has raised concerns about the conduct of all three. The three, in turn, have been critical of McKinney's performance as president.

It's probably not necessary to make this point, but everyone involved is a respected member of the business community. McKinney has been the chamber's president since 2006. Leek is a partner in the Cobb-Cole law firm. Forbes is a partner in the James Moore accounting firm. Maroney is president of the Root Company.

It's also important to note that the chamber has faced adversity in recent years. Membership has dropped, and so has revenue. That may be a result of the difficult economy. But for a chamber president, such facts are also legitimate performance issues.

With that as a backdrop, here are the particulars of the dispute, as various chamber members with knowledge of the situation have explained:

Last summer, area political primaries included the race for Volusia County Council Chair between Carl Persis, Ted Doran and Jason Davis. The battle between Persis and Doran was particularly nasty.

In the heat of their battle last July, someone inside the chamber released a copy of a 2010 video that included Doran — who at the time was immediate past chairman of the chamber — speaking at an annual meeting at which the keynote speaker was former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. A snippet of Doran's comments from that video ended up in a commercial funded by a political action group that opposed Doran's county chair candidacy.

The way the video was used angered Doran. He asked who released the video, which, under an agreement with Palin, wasn't supposed to be made public. Emails flew back and forth between the chamber leadership. McKinney raised concerns about the appearance that the chamber leadership had taken a side in a political contest.

Then, in late August, McKinney received a less-than-favorable performance review in a meeting with Leek. The review focused on McKinney's overall performance.

Then, in September, Maroney, Forbes and Leek informed McKinney that his three-year “evergreen contract” with the chamber was not going to be renewed. That decision, however, wasn't approved by the chamber's executive committee or board of directors.

Then, in December and early January, another internal dispute arose involving a chamber “request for proposal” sent to area banks interested in handling a sizeable chamber deposit. Essentially, a banker complained that a chamber leader — not McKinney — suggested that the bank could get the chamber's business if the bank increased the dues it pays to the chamber.

Then, also in early January and after the banking dispute, McKinney had a discussion with Forbes and Maroney. They reportedly told McKinney he was ineffective as a chamber president and that he no longer has the support of the chamber's executive committee or the chamber foundation.

After that meeting, McKinney requested an executive committee meeting, which took place Jan. 22. He claimed that Leek, Maroney and Forbes together or separately committed three “by-law” violations due to: 1) The release of the videotape for political purposes; 2) The unauthorized renegotiation of McKinney's contract; and 3) The mishandling of the banking request RFP.

A committee headed by area attorney Jim Rose is now reviewing McKinney's claims. (Full disclosure: News-Journal Publisher Ron Wallace is on the review committee. But he is not a source for this column.)

For the chamber, this is obviously a real mess.

McKinney's claims deserve a full review. But the claims also muddy the water. They may be factually correct or they may not be factually correct, or they may be partly true. But the claims also could serve to divert attention from what may be legitimate issues regarding McKinney's performance.

To be clear: The News-Journal as a company strongly supports the chamber and its mission to improve the business climate in Daytona Beach and all of Volusia County.

But chamber membership has decreased in recent years. In-fighting won't help the chamber regain members who have left due to the economic downturn, or for other reasons.

More importantly, the chamber ought to be leading the charge on business development and recruitment of new business and industry. In the big scheme of things, the mission is to help the communities that make up Volusia County. Prosperity for businesses is good for everyone.

I don't have a dog in this hunt, and I can't predict how the chamber's internal dispute will be resolved. But this much I know: For the sake of the chamber, and the community, the dispute needs to be resolved now.

Rice is editor of The News-Journal. His email address is Pat.Rice@news-jrnl.com.

<p>A troubling behind-the-scenes battle is taking place among the top leadership of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce. </p><p> </p><p> It's the kind of dispute everyone involved may understandably wish was kept from the public's eye. Two major chamber events — the group's annual banquet on Feb. 11 and Bike Week in early March — are just around the corner. The organization would much rather champion those events and the area's “chamber of commerce weather” than an ugly fight. </p><p> </p><p> But the current unpleasantness is a dark cloud that can't be ignored. When significant disagreements erupt between leaders of the largest business organization in the area, well, it needs to be told. </p><p> </p><p> The dust-up pits chamber President Larry McKinney against past board Chairman Tom Leek, current Chairman Suzanne Forbes, and incoming Chairman Phil Maroney. McKinney has raised concerns about the conduct of all three. The three, in turn, have been critical of McKinney's performance as president. </p><p> </p><p> It's probably not necessary to make this point, but everyone involved is a respected member of the business community. McKinney has been the chamber's president since 2006. Leek is a partner in the Cobb-Cole law firm. Forbes is a partner in the James Moore accounting firm. Maroney is president of the Root Company. </p><p> </p><p> It's also important to note that the chamber has faced adversity in recent years. Membership has dropped, and so has revenue. That may be a result of the difficult economy. But for a chamber president, such facts are also legitimate performance issues. </p><p> </p><p> With that as a backdrop, here are the particulars of the dispute, as various chamber members with knowledge of the situation have explained: </p><p> Last summer, area political primaries included the race for Volusia County Council Chair between Carl Persis, Ted Doran and Jason Davis. The battle between Persis and Doran was particularly nasty. </p><p> </p><p> In the heat of their battle last July, someone inside the chamber released a copy of a 2010 video that included Doran — who at the time was immediate past chairman of the chamber — speaking at an annual meeting at which the keynote speaker was former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. A snippet of Doran's comments from that video ended up in a commercial funded by a political action group that opposed Doran's county chair candidacy. </p><p> </p><p> The way the video was used angered Doran. He asked who released the video, which, under an agreement with Palin, wasn't supposed to be made public. Emails flew back and forth between the chamber leadership. McKinney raised concerns about the appearance that the chamber leadership had taken a side in a political contest. </p><p> </p><p> Then, in late August, McKinney received a less-than-favorable performance review in a meeting with Leek. The review focused on McKinney's overall performance. </p><p> </p><p> Then, in September, Maroney, Forbes and Leek informed McKinney that his three-year “evergreen contract” with the chamber was not going to be renewed. That decision, however, wasn't approved by the chamber's executive committee or board of directors. </p><p> </p><p> Then, in December and early January, another internal dispute arose involving a chamber “request for proposal” sent to area banks interested in handling a sizeable chamber deposit. Essentially, a banker complained that a chamber leader — not McKinney — suggested that the bank could get the chamber's business if the bank increased the dues it pays to the chamber. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Then, also in early January and after the banking dispute, McKinney had a discussion with Forbes and Maroney. They reportedly told McKinney he was ineffective as a chamber president and that he no longer has the support of the chamber's executive committee or the chamber foundation. </p><p> </p><p> After that meeting, McKinney requested an executive committee meeting, which took place Jan. 22. He claimed that Leek, Maroney and Forbes together or separately committed three “by-law” violations due to: 1) The release of the videotape for political purposes; 2) The unauthorized renegotiation of McKinney's contract; and 3) The mishandling of the banking request RFP. </p><p> </p><p> A committee headed by area attorney Jim Rose is now reviewing McKinney's claims. (Full disclosure: News-Journal Publisher Ron Wallace is on the review committee. But he is not a source for this column.) </p><p> </p><p> For the chamber, this is obviously a real mess. </p><p> </p><p> McKinney's claims deserve a full review. But the claims also muddy the water. They may be factually correct or they may not be factually correct, or they may be partly true. But the claims also could serve to divert attention from what may be legitimate issues regarding McKinney's performance. </p><p> </p><p> To be clear: The News-Journal as a company strongly supports the chamber and its mission to improve the business climate in Daytona Beach and all of Volusia County. </p><p> </p><p> But chamber membership has decreased in recent years. In-fighting won't help the chamber regain members who have left due to the economic downturn, or for other reasons. </p><p> </p><p> More importantly, the chamber ought to be leading the charge on business development and recruitment of new business and industry. In the big scheme of things, the mission is to help the communities that make up Volusia County. Prosperity for businesses is good for everyone. </p><p> </p><p> I don't have a dog in this hunt, and I can't predict how the chamber's internal dispute will be resolved. But this much I know: For the sake of the chamber, and the community, the dispute needs to be resolved now.</p><p>Rice is editor of The News-Journal. His email address is Pat.Rice@news-jrnl.com.</i></p>